Nikon Leaves McCann for Cramer-Krasselt After 12 Years

By Patrick Coffee 

Did you know that classic camera brand Nikon quietly launched an agency review several months ago after spending a dozen years with McCann?

Now the client is ready to announce the winner: indie agency Cramer-Krasselt’s New York office.

Nikon wants to re-establish its place as a leader in the photography industry at a moment when the public is increasingly obsessed with images…but not professional-quality cameras. (While the company’s high-end products led to a smaller-than-expected revenue decline for the first half of 2015, its U.S. sales totals did not quite meet expectations.)

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Regarding the win, Nikon associate GM of communications Lisa Baxt said:

“C-K looked at our industry and brand from a totally different perspective and we believe they will be a great partner because of their integrated mindset and deep understanding of our market.”

C-K New York EVP/general manager Nancy Aresu, who joined the agency in April after a stint as head of client services at Y&R, added:

“This is a brand you dream about working with—they have top quality products, are consistently creating and innovating, and still have huge untapped opportunities ahead. It’s going to be a privilege to work with them.”

This news marks the latest new business win for C-K, which recently nabbed  The New York Road Runners (read: New York City Marathon), wine brand Mionetto, Bic and–perhaps most prominently–Constellation Brands’ Pacifico beer and Casa Noble tequila. The shop picked up the latter accounts without a review thanks primarily to its work for Corona Extra.

In February 2003, McCann beat Arnold and Bozell to win an account that was then valued at $18 million. The last campaign IPG created for the client was 2014’s “Generation Image,” which gently suggested that your typical Millennial photography hound might want to graduate from an iPhone to a real camera.

New work from Cramer-Krasselt should launch in the spring.

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